Without End
by Hannah-MaKayla
Summary: "I will love you forever, my darling. And until Death takes us, I will remain in your arms." Yeah, well the Fates had another idea. It's me, Maria Lunabell Chure. And I'm back. Sorry for not sending the other journal with my first one, but hey, a girl's got to live. Now you get to see what happened with me after Nico. Good look not crying.
1. Chapter 1

I hadn't spoken in weeks. I hadn't seen anyone I knew. I walked alone, following the setting sun. I had a destination, and I was going to reach it.

Life since I had left camp was easy. After word got around of who I was and what I could do, monsters fled from me. "Percy Jackson's sister," they would whisper as I passed, "She is worse than he is,"

They were right, I was worse. Percy didn't ever stop to think about water and where it was. It was in the clouds. It was in the ground. It was in the plants. And it was in living things. Having the water sucked out of your body isn't a fun way to die. Its painful and cruel. And I relished in it. They fled from my path, a path of destruction and pain that only I walked. I hadn't had to use my weapons since I discovered the extent of my powers. There was no need to.

I was somewhere near New Rome, a stop along the way. Hazel deserved to know firsthand about Nico. Lupa had already found me and told me that I was on my own. But I already knew that.

I was nearing my destination, walking through a field of grass, when a black shape tackled me. I had forgotten about Mrs. O'Leary. She licked me repeatedly, wagging her tail and laying on top of me. I concentrated and flicked my wrist, sending her sprawling across the field. She barked at me, running back and nosing my hand. I patted her head, smiling and mounting her. Once on her back, I whispered, "Take me to New Rome, old girl,"

She barked and took off running to the shadows in the edge of the field. We emerged on the banks of the Little Tiber. I patted her and sent her to find Hannibal. Then I went to find Hazel. In the Jupiter Optimus Maximus, I could hear Octavian stabbing teddy bears and the thunder rumbling. I turned my gaze towards the black stone building.

Hazel was in the Temple of Pluto, polishing her father's altar when I walked in. She took one look at me before nearly tackling me. "Maria! It's so good to see you!" she said, hugging me and eyeing me with those gold eyes.

"Nico's dead," I said, quietly explaining what happened. She nodded, and said, "I know. I felt it when he died. He really loved you," I couldn't say another word. The feeling of absolute dread began to weigh on me. I couldn't deal with this. "Where's Reyna?" I asked, suddenly getting an idea. Hazel shrugged before putting down the cloth. "I don't know. Frank said that they had some kind of meeting this morning, but that was over by noon. They might be in the stables though."

I nodded, walking off to find the praetors. About half way down the hill, Hazel came running after me. "Wait!" she panted, having sprinted the while way, "Why do you need to see them?" I explained that I wanted to join the legion, as some of the other Greek demigods had done. Clarisse had lost a couple of sisters to the Romans, and now Percy was going to lose one himself. Hazel gave me a wary look that made me want to squirm. "You aren't trying to get yourself killed, are you?" she asked, those gold eyes unsettling. I held my ground and shook my head. With that settled, we began to walk to the barracks again.

"Wait!" another voice called. I growled and turned around, watching as a blond, skinny augur came running towards us, a freshly stabbed plush toy in his hand. "I had the oddest thing pop up in the fluff." he said, not winded at all. I raised an eyebrow and watched as he combed through the stuffing. "Aha!" Octavian said, pointing to a banana shaped piece of cotton. He looked back at us with an excited expression. I waited for him to explain, but he continued to look at us.

"_Mors Eufraten, _Octavian, what does it say?!" Hazel yelled. I snorted. (For those Greeks out there who haven't bothered to learn Latin, my friend had just said "Thantos's underpants," so yes, there was a reason to laugh.) Octavian turned a little red, either with embarrassment or anger, I couldn't tell, because the excitement won out.

"It says," he said, pointing to the banana shape again, "that the Legion will be changed by a daughter of the sea. Well," Octavian looked at it crookedly and poked it with his knife. "That, or the beans at dinner tonight will be cursed." I couldn't hold it in anymore. I began to laugh. Between Death's underpants and cursed beans and all the stress and anxiety I had experienced the past couple of days, I couldn't hold in a slightly psychotic laugh. Hazel cracked a grin and looked at Octavian. Finally, I had stopped the fit of giggles and we all walked together to find the praetors.

New Rome had changed since the last time I had been here. Or maybe I was paying more attention to the city than my companions. We crossed over the Little Tiber, a naiad waving at me from the depths. I looked to my right at the northern end of the valley. New Rome was still an amazing sight, even more so now. The sun was just peaking out of the overcastting clouds around the horizon. The sun broke through the grey overcast and shined through with a golden light, hitting the white stone the city was made of. The golden accents shone brightly in the setting sun, and it made me think of the simpler, more familiar Camp Half-blood.

I pushed the thought aside before the memories that came with that place ensued. I doubt I'd be able to cry and join the legion at the same time. Hazel and Octavian were talking about the expansion being planned for the university or something. I was caught up in my own world, thinking about nothing and everything all at the same time. Finally, we walked past the split in the roads and went on to the Praetorian Gate. I could see the Caldecott Tunnel just over the barracks.

The stables were almost full this time of year. Camp Half-Blood had sent half of their pegasi to Camp Jupiter in return for the same amount of unicorns. The horses were calling out greetings to me, most of them white, some silver, and a few brown and tawny ones scattered in the numbers. Reyna and Frank were tending to a pegasus with what seemed to be a broken leg. The poor thing was crying out every time they tried to touch it, moving away and only causing itself more pain.

_ Hey, _it said in equestrian language, _don't touch that! It hurts! _I walked up to it, ignoring the praetors greeting me and laying a hand on the silver beast. "Calm down, sweetie, we're just trying to help," I said in the most soothing voice I could muster. I looked at the horse, seeing the muscles and the beautiful coloring. Her coat was silver, her feathers and hair tipped with black. All in all, I guessed she was about four, just at the perfect riding age.

_ Finally, someone who can understand me!_ she said, snorting and calling Reyna and Frank some unflattering names. I told the pegasus, named Stormlight, that we had to set the bone so that it could heal properly, and that it would hurt. After agreeing, she let the others set the broken leg while we spoke about the best kinds of grass and her favorite time of year. She liked alfalfa best and winter was her favorite season. _Flying in the snow is just amazing_, she told me after the leg was properly set. "You'll have to let me try that one day," I replied, giving her a sugar cube and saying goodbye. We walked outside into the light of the setting sun.

"Not that I'm upset to see you, but why are you here, Maria?" Reyna asked, getting straight to the point. I told her that, since Nico had died and Percy was caught up in the next prophecy, I wanted to join the legion. She turned to Octavian who held up the ripped teddy bear in response to the unspoken question.

"The gods approve. But, don't eat the beans at dinner tonight." he said, sending Hazel and I a conspirator's wink. I smiled back and looked at Reyna and Frank. "You're lucky, like your brother." Frank said with a smile.

Reyna sent Hazel to round up the centurions of the cohorts and we moved to the center of the _Via Principallis_. Hazel emerged with nine demigods and legacies, followed by the rest of the cohorts. I recognized Dakota with his flask and splotched clothes. Hank and Leila, Third, and Larry and Heather, Second, stood beside him. Nathan and Marcus, Fourth, and Kaylie, Octavian's fellow centurion, came up behind them.

"Maria, daughter of Neptune, wishes to join the Twelfth Legion. What do the auguries say?" Reyna said, turning to Octavian. He replied that the signs were favorable. The others replied with the "_Ave! Hail!" _and we moved on. The senior centurions came forward. Octavian, Dakota, Larry, Hank, and Marcus came up.

"Any credentials? Letters?" Dakota asked, taking a swig of his Kool-aid. I shook my head no. Larry tutted sadly and asked if anyone would stand for me. "I will," Hazel said, saying that she had seen my swordsmanship first hand. Reyna also stepped forward and said that I was as loyal and as skilled as Percy. Frank did likewise. Then a small fight broke out. Every one of the cohorts wanted me. The Fifth had gotten a bit of luck with Percy, and the others weren't going to miss this opportunity.

I was eventually placed in the First Cohort, Octavian having to rip open a teddy bear and ask the gods to settle the argument. I stood with the warriors that would soon become my family for about ten seconds until Reyna dismissed us to dinner. Octavian and Kaylie stuck beside me, guiding me to the mess hall. They gave me a _prohibato _plate to be worn around my neck, and we walked towards food.

Dinner was pretty cool, the food zipping around and people moving freely. The actual food was great. I sat beside Hazel and the very friendly Octavian. I didn't understand if he was grateful for me setting him up with Rachel or if he wanted me loyal to him since we were in the same cohort. Hazel had noticed the smiles and comments too, and she continued to give him a funny glance. Together, we talked about the miscellaneous things that really didn't matter. How the food was, what the weather for the next few days would be, how Hazel's curse was changing.

"Ever since the last battle," Hazel said, "the gems and stuff have been appearing more and more, even when I'm not nervous. But for some reason," She stirred her red beans and rice thoughtfully. "They don't seem to be cursed."

Octavian choked on his mashed potatoes, making me laugh. Hazel cracked a smile and explained how the fauns said that the "funky smell" the old gems had was gone. "I really need someone to experiment on, but no one wants to volunteer," she muttered, taking a long drink of her lemonade.

"I will," I said without looking up from my food. What did I have to lose anyway? Hazel and Octavian argued with me for the rest of dinner before the daughter of Pluto relented and gave me small shard of rose quartz to test the theory. For those of you who don't know your gemology, rose quartz is a very, very common gemstone that has little value. So if the theory was false, then the curse wouldn't be too terribly bad.

After dinner, everyone scattered some of them to go train, others to guard duty. I, however, went straight to the barracks to unpack. Kaylie told me that she was on her way, and so, we went together. She was short, skinny, and very pretty. She had blonde hair that was so light that it was almost white. Her eyes were bright green, the color of emeralds. I glanced at the inside of her arm and saw a lyre, the symbol of Apollo, along with seven lines. She must've been in the legion since she was a kid, because she seemed to be about seventeen.

When I asked, she replied, "My mom lived in the city for a long time, but she did go on one quest. She met my dad on it, and then she had me a while later. I've been in the legion since I was nine, since my mom died." I nodded in response, not really having anything to say to that. There really was nothing to say to that. Not having your mother was terrible, but "I'm sorry" doesn't really cover it.

"What about you? Where's your mother?" she asked. I replied, "She died when I was born. I don't know who she was, what her name was, or even what she looked like. I didn't have contact with the outside world. Well, other than Mercury stopping in for a visit,"

My reply was honest, but to come completely clean, I never was even curious about my mother. I didn't have a reason to. I didn't know what the feeling of motherly love was. I mean, I figure its just like any other kind of love. The way a mother bear protects her cubs, the way any other animal watches its young, that's the way a mother loves its child. But, I've never known that, so I never had anything to miss. I do wonder if we act the same, or if we look alike. Nothing else really crosses my mind about her though. Kaylie nodded, not pressing, just leading me to the barracks in silence.

The place was nice, all stone floors and walls and very bare beads and bunks. We definitely had the best view though, with the porch facing the eastern sky. Kaylie gave me a bed and walked back to her own room, telling me that the other girls would be here soon.

I set to unpacking, taking out my clothes and looking at what I had brought with me. My bow and arrows, my sword and shield, a knife, some clothes, the watch Tyson made for me, and one of Percy's camp shirts was all I had to my name. I had left Tsunami on Percy's note, willingly giving the ring up so that it wouldn't come to me anymore. That was part of my past, the past I had to let go of.

Hazel came in a little while later after I had put away all of my clothes. She was allowed to come into the First's barracks so long as she didn't stay the night. "Are you okay?" she asked me, those eyes so sympathetic and comforting. It made me want to barf. "I'm fine," I snapped back, pushing away the dark eyed memory that had plagued me since he died a month ago.

"Maria," she said carefully, as if tiptoeing around a giant, "I don't think that's true. I know how much Nico meant-" I cut her off with a glare.

"Don't say his name,"

"You have to come to terms with it eventually,"

"No, I don't. I don't _have _to do anything." I countered, reaching for my watch.

She grabbed my hand and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a warped sound. I knew that sound. It was something I had heard every day of my life when I was still in that cabin. I turned around to see a box sitting at the foot of my bed. It was medium sized and cardboard with _Hermes Express _stamped on the side. My name was on it, along with a note attached to it. Hazel glanced at me before taking the note. I took my knife and ripped open the box, shocked to see what was inside.

"Dear Maria," she read, "This was given to you by a certain demigod, who's father instructed me to deliver it to you himself. Nico di Angelo, who died of a poisoned blade, leaves you some of his prized possessions. His jacket," I picked up the worn black leather bomber jacket and stroked the fur collar. "And his ring," I reached in the pocket and pulled out his silver skull ring. "have been left to you. These instructions came from the boy's spirit, courtesy of Hades. Best wishes and most honest condolences, Uncle Hermes."

Hazel sat down on my bed, covering her mouth and trying to keep from sobbing. I stood there, his jacket clutched in one hand, his ring in another. Nico left me his favorite items in the world. Me, not Hazel. His girlfriend, not his sister. My knees hit the floor, jarring my body and sending pain up my legs. I hugged the jacket, inhaling deeply. His smell, the smell of spice and darkness, was still on his jacket. The ring, cold steel, pressed against my palm. He was wearing these things the first day he met me. Nico, my Nico, was gone. And this is what I had left.

I collapsed in on myself, pressing my head to my knees, sobbing softly, feeling Hazel kneel down beside me and hug my back. My sobs begin to get more violent, closer together as the memories hit. The first time he smiled at me. The first time he shadow traveled with me. When we won capture the flag together. When he asked me to the dance. The lock on the bridge. The whispers of Italian. I sobbed hard and loud now, the sounds of pure pain and grief filling the air. How in Hades was I going to live like this?

I stood, the tears still streaming down my face. Slipping on the jacket and ring, I ran outside. Hazel called after me, but I tuned her out. I ran past Octavian, Reyna, Frank, and so many others. But not the one I needed to see. Then, I found him.

Dakota was walking past the Pomerian line, taking his weapons from the little girl and bidding goodbye to Terminus. He saw me and an uneasy look crossed his face. I know he was probably thinking, _Oh, gods, what does the hysterical female want with me?_ I stopped in front of him, trying to keep a harness on my emotions. "I need your help," I said.

Dakota held up a finger when I opened my mouth to explain. Then, he took out a flask and downed the whole thing, turning his mouth a bright shade of red. "Okay, hit me!" he said, wobbling a little bit. "I feel crazy, Dakota." I began, "Crazy with grief or anxiety or Bacchus knows what! Can you fix me?" He tilted his head before leading me up to the Temple Hill.

When we got there, my calves beginning to burn, he took me to the Temple of Bacchus. The tan stone temple had vines growing up the whole structure with all kinds of ripe grapes on the green plants. Inside, there was an altar. On it was different bottles of wine and packets of powdered Kool-Aid of all types. Dakota dug around in the pockets of his pants and pulled out another plastic container of grape Kool-Aid and set it down. He turned around and looked at me, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Now, if its any sort of madness at all, I should be able to fix it," Dakota said. He put one hand on my forehead and another on the small of my back. I felt the hum of divine energy and a warm feeling spread through my body. The floor and ceiling swapped places, and the ground crumbled beneath my feet. The vines grew into faces that began to grin evilly at me. The walls began to press in, creating something of my worst nightmares. I never was able to deal with tight spaces, but this was way worse. The light faded and my vision became dark. Slowly, the walls pressed in on me. Just when I thought I would scream, everything went back to normal. I staggered into Dakota's arms, breathing deeply and looking around wildly.

When I confirmed that it was all a vision, I stood up and asked Dakota if he had fixed me. "Well," he said, rubbing the back of his head, "it wasn't madness of Bacchus's control. _This _kind of madness is the work of Venus. This is heartbroken crazy, not crazy crazy."

I thanked him for trying, hiding my disappointment with a smile. When I walked outside, Hazel was waiting for me. "Terminus," she explained. I didn't speak to her, walking calmly past her and down the hill. I probably was a sight to see, ratty hair, silver skull ring, black jacket, _prohibato_ plate, and on top of all that, crying. Reyna sent me a worried look when I passed her house on the way back to my barrack.

Inside was the other nine demigods that I had to share my space with. Three of them were huddled around a magazine, the other six dressing for bed. All of them were girls around my age. Finally, a girl with auburn hair noticed me. She grinned at me, revealing a bright white smile. Sadly, the thing that ruined her looks was her teeth. She was missing one of the front teeth. Her tattoo was that of a broken wheel, like a pacman along with four lines. She was a legacy of Nemesis, goddess of fairness.

The others smiled at me and showered me with names, apparently oblivious to the fact that I had been crying. Nina was the auburn haired girl. The three interested in the magazine were sisters, children of Venus. One was a legacy of Apollo. Alisha was a daughter of Iris, which I could tell just by looking at her. Compared to Butch, she seemed to show off her lineage way more. Her hair was a shimmery indigo, her eyes were peacock green. She was constantly changing the color of her clothes and basically anything around her.

I introduced myself and told them that I was from Camp Half-Blood. That caught the attention of the Venus girls. The brunette who had blonde streaks looked up from the magazine and said, "Wait a minute. You're the one who's boyfriend died to save her. What was his name? Cico? No, it was Nico! Hazel's brother." She began to babble about the romantic technicalities of our relationship, but she didn't get too far. I used my relatively new found control over life forms to make her close her mouth. To Hades with keeping it a secret. I'd use it when I wanted to. She didn't know what had happened, but she let it drop and turned back to her magazine.

Everyone kinda noticed that it was a touchy subject and no one spoke of it for the rest of the evening. It was way past dark, and the moon and stars were shining brightly. Hypnos was good to me that night, letting me fall into a deep and undisturbed sleep.

The next morning, I woke up before anyone of the other girls. I dressed in a short sleeve shirt and a dark pair of blue jeans. I slipped on Nico's jacket and his ring, a warm feeling shooting through me. I relished in it for a moment before deciding that I needed a new set of weapons. The silver belonged to Artemis, making me think of the maidenhood all the Hunters undertook, something that I had refused. Now, I was beginning to wonder what it would've been like if I had accepted her offer. But those were dangerous thoughts, and I wanted to push them aside.

Walking silently in the morning light, I went to the armory, stopping at the stables and saying hi to Stormlight. She was very happy to see me and offered to give me a test flight. I declined in fear of getting in trouble. Still, the pegasus told me that I could come and fly with her anytime.

In the armory, I met with someone I hadn't expected to find. Octavian was sitting inside, talking with one of the Lares and sharpening his knife. When the spirit saw me, he disappeared, leaving me with the augur.

"Maria," Octavian said, standing quickly and dropping the polishing cloth and oil in his lap. The substance splatters everywhere, ruining my shoes. "Sorry," he said, hitting the floor and beginning to mop up the liquid. I get down and help him, not saying a word.

"That's Nico's jacket, isn't it?" he asked me. I nodded without looking up.

"Why doesn't Hazel have it?"

I shrug.

"Well, I don't understand why you would want to wear the clothes of the dead," he said, infuriating me beyond description. I stood up quickly and unbuckled my belt, dropping my silver weapons and shield. He looked up and watched me with a worried expression. That made me even more angry.

"I don't know, Octavian, why don't you go eviscerate a child's toy and ask the gods why?!" I screamed at him, turning around and walking to the door. On the way out, I kicked over a bucket of spears just for effect. Octavian called after me, but he didn't physically come after me.

I was too mad to speak, pushing my way to the mess hall and sitting down at a random table. Everyone else was already eating, but stopped when I came in. I ignored the stares and began eating. The thing that caught my attention was the blue pancakes in front of me.

"Well," a familiar voice drawled over the silence, "that's one way to say hi to your brother,"

I looked beside me and saw Percy with a raised eyebrow and a small smile on his face. The whole Twelfth Legion broke into laughs. Even Reyna was smiling. Percy hugged me tightly, the scent of his ocean crashing against mine. The feeling of a boy hugging me, the familiar warmth and squeeze sent me into tears again.

Annabeth attacked at me from the other side, squishing me against Percy's chest. I kept my sobs quiet in the midst of the Romans. When I finally let go of my brother, I got the scolding of a lifetime.

"A note?! Leaving your sword?! Stealing my favorite shirt?! Unacceptable! You are so grounded!" he yelled. Annabeth snickered behind me, but was quiet other than that. After giving me _Tsunami_ back, he rambled on for a little while, but I ignored him. Well, right up until he offered to let me move in with him.

"What did you say?" I asked quietly, not believing what I had just heard.

"I said that you would be more than welcome to move in with me and my mom. I know that you never really had a proper family, but-" I cut him off by raising a finger. Did he really just offer to share his mother with me? His home, his life? I couldn't speak. I was stunned. No one had ever spoke to me about my family or my lack of parental guidance. He waved a hand in front of my face a couple of times before I said, "But I joined the legion. I can't leave." Reyna, who had walked up behind me, had the answer to that.

"This letter came in through the Mercury Express. It has been signed by Venus and Mars Ultor. Here," she said, handing me the scroll and walking away. Percy and Annabeth pressured me to read it.

"'To my Roman children,'" I read. Mars really needed to work on his penmanship. "'On behalf of the Fates and Venus herself, I cannot allow Maria Chure to join the legion. My lovely girlfriend and the old ladies have,'" The writing changed here, going from black ink to swirling pink script. "'created a brainchild equal of Minerva. Combining romance and a good dose of tragedy, this plot will not stand for the Romanization of the girl. She will be named the Ambassador of Neptune, much like her late counterpart. Don't kill her or harm her pretty face. Hugs and kisses, Venus/Aphrodite and Mars Ultor.' Gods of Olympus, what have they done?" I said, tossing the scroll onto the table, knocking over my drink and Percy's bottle of syrup.

After Annabeth cleaned up the sticky mess, Percy read over the letter again, shaking his head. Then, the daughter of Athena went back over the letter, shaking her head also. "First off," she said as the dinning hall began to clear, "no one, NO ONE, could make a brainchild equal of Mother. Second, if Aphrodite _and _the Fates are in on it, I'd expect a-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, though. Frank came barreling into the now empty hall, screaming for Percy to come out there. Then, in a completely Jason Grace trademarked maneuver, part of the ceiling beam came down and knocked him out. Annabeth ran over to him, telling us to go.

Outside was chaos. A dragon, a full sized, bigger than Festus dragon, was attacking the legion. The creature was absolutely beautiful, in a fire-breathing death-machine kind of way. Its scales were bright red-bronze, a color that shimmered and blinded me for a moment. Then my battle instincts kicked in. I whistled loudly, calling out for Stormlight while Percy jumped on Blackjack. While I waited for my mount, I wondered if controlling the beast with my ability would be too much. The risks weren't enough for me to try it out, so I instead twisted the sapphire on my ring, feeling the familiar white leather grip fit itself into my hand. About that time, Hazel and Arion arrived on the scene, zipping through the crowd of Romans and helping the wounded.

The eagles and Reyna came next, the praetor riding on her replacement pegasus. This one was nicknamed Nutella, for its chocolaty brown coat. Beside it was Stormlight, who had spotted me and was circling down to meet me. The giant eagles and Percy were doing their best to keep the dragon from burning down the city, but they were badly outnumbered. I hopped onto the silvery pegasus, giving her orders to drop me on the dragon's back.

_ Uh, are you sure about that? What if it throws you off? _she asked, skittering in the air for a moment. "That's what I'm betting on," I whispered. Reluctantly, she flew me over the dragon's wings, turning upside down and letting me fall through the air. I landed on my feet, the acrobatic training from Chiron kicking in. I twirled my sword in my hand before plunging it through the tender muscle that powered the wings. The beast screeched, loosing control of its body and beginning the far plunge back to the earth. I held onto the handle of my sword, trying and failing to pull it from the tough hide.

Finally, it came free, but that didn't leave me enough time to jump back to Stormlight. So, when the beast came crashing down, I followed suit. The impact jarred my bones, searing pain shooting through my body before I blacked out.

In my dream, I was back in Cabin 3 at Camp Half-Blood, everything just as I had left it. But I wasn't alone. Standing there, jacket- and ring-less, was _mi amour,_ Nico di Angelo. "Maria," he breathed, and took a step towards me. I didn't cry, no. I hugged him and began to laugh, wondering if I was dead. He laughed too, pulling away to put his hands on my face. I felt the cool, calloused hands of my love touch my cheeks. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I closed my eyes, and he did the same. The kiss was unlike any other. This one conveyed all the hopes and sadness and love and tragedy we had felt for the past month back to one another. He pulled away first, touching our foreheads together. I tangled my fingers into his hair and smiled, my eyes still closed.

"Hi," I breathed, a slight giggle in my voice. "Hi," he answered back in his deep one. We kissed again, this time only for a short second.

"Am I dead?" I asked, keeping my eyes trained on him. I wanted to memorize every detail of his face. The way his nose curved, the shallow smile lines around his eyes, the dark lashes and eyes, and the feeling I got as chocolate met sea green. He smiled at me, and answered my question. "No," he sighed, "sadly, you aren't. You just happen to be unconscious, but close enough to death for me to visit you. Hades does allow for me to wander a little bit. After all," Nico stopped for a moment to brush a hair out of my face before smiling and continuing, "it isn't as if I plan on choosing rebirth or anything."

I looked at him in utter shock. I honestly expected him to choose to be reborn into life again, to get three other shots at being the kid he should've been. I understood that he would forget everything about this life, including me and Bianca and all the adventures he had, but I really thought that he would weigh the pros and cons and choose rebirth.

"You expected me to?" he asked in faked hurt. I nodded sheepishly and explained why. At the end of my explanation, Nico nodded.

"I can see why you would think that, but the cons outweigh the pros," he said, cupping my cheeks again, "But even another chance at a relatively good life wouldn't make me want to forget this absolutely extraordinary one."

I kissed him again, loving him now more than ever. He sat down with me on my bed and explained his arrangement that he had made with Hades. "In exchange for me being able to visit you in your dreams, I have to basically help run the Underworld. But you have to realize that no one, not even Hazel or Percy can find out about this. Because if Zeus found out, there would be another war of the gods."

I nodded, listening to him and understanding every word. I would hold this secret to the grave, and possibly beyond it. He asked what I had been doing and why I wasn't still at Camp Half-Blood. I answered honestly, telling him about the prophecy and how I couldn't live with all the memories the place held. Then, after telling him about Percy's offer of me moving in, Nico made me swear to accept it. Laughing, I told him that I would. Before we could get any further into the subject, I saw the colors begin to drain out of the room. Nico kissed me quickly, whispering, "I'll see you tonight," right before everything faded completely.

I sat straight up in the cot that I was lying in, looking around and trying to determine where I was. Judging by the purple sheets and curtains, I was still in Camp Jupiter. Kaylie was the only other person in the room, and she rushed over when she saw that I was awake. "You sure did give us a scare," she said, checking my vitals and joints. After deeming me fully healed, she walked me back to the barrack, telling me what had happened. After I brought the dragon out of the sky, Percy and Reyna finished it off. During the three days I was out, the two had also argued about whether or not I would be branded with the Legion's symbol. Thankfully, the choice would be left up to me.

The healer left me alone in the barrack, telling me that Percy would be over shortly. I began to pack my belongings into the Hermes's sack, keeping Nico's jacket and ring on along with my own. I had _Tsunami _on my left hand and Nico's skull ring on my right. I heard someone come in just as I was putting the last shirt into my backpack. I was shocked to look up and see Octavian, not Percy.

"Hey," he said, sitting down on the bed opposite to me. I ignored him, shoving my feet into my shoes.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry for the other day. You know, about the jacket." he said, turning red but keeping his gaze trained on me. I told him that I accepted his apology and got up, heading for the door. Octavian stopped me, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face him. We were so close together, his body pressed against mine, that I was suddenly hit with the urge to spit in his face. But, I didn't get the chance. He roughly grabbed my chin and kissed me quickly. For about a half second, I was too shocked to do anything. And then the rage kicked in. I raised my arm and slung him away from me, using my power to slam him against the wall. I watched as the shock on his face was replaced by fear. Slowly and deliberately enunciating my words, I spoke.

"How _dare _you?" I said as forcefully as I could. "Just because Nico died doesn't mean that I want someone else. I will not_ ever_ want you, Octavian. And once I tell Rachel, neither will she. If I were you, I would run."

He couldn't do anything because I was still holding him to the wall. I released him, but stayed standing beside the door. Then, the Fates just got cruel with it. I looked at the porch and saw Percy standing there, his mouth wide open while the anger registered in his features. Octavian kept his eyes trained on me as he walked past, but that caused him to run smack into Percy. He looked up and saw that it was my brother who he had collided with. Then the fear kicked in, but not before Percy got his own shot in. For a moment, I felt bad for Octavian, because he had no idea what was coming. In a flash, Percy had reared back with his right arm and nailed Octavian right in the jaw.

"Don't touch her!" he yelled, and shoved him down the steps. The skinny blonde got up and took off running towards New Rome. I looked at Percy and he stared back. I grinned a little, and he smiled back at me. Perc ran a hand through his hair and asked how I was.

"I'm grand. I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend," I said, quoting a certain Augustus Waters. Percy obviously didn't get it.

"So, are you going to get a tat like mine?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and flashing his forearm. I laughed and shook my head no. the tattoo reminded me of a dog peeing on a tree as if to mark it as if it the tree _belonged _to it. If I was going to ever get a permanent mark on my skin, it would be a real tattoo, not a brand.

Percy nodded, taking my _prohibato_ plate and tossing it away from us. I laughed and we made our way to Reyna's house. Her and Annabeth were sitting on the porch, looking over blueprints. When they noticed us, Reyna sat back in her rocking chair.

"You know, I saw the weirdest sight a few minutes ago," she said, Annabeth shaking with laughter beside her. "I could've sworn that Octavian was running as fast as he could towards the city with a huge bruise on his face. You two wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" Percy and I glanced at each other, silently asking what we should say. I shook my head yes and he shook his no. Then, we glared at each other and had a battle of wills. Reyna and Annabeth were laughing heartily now.

After telling Reyna my decision, she did something I didn't expect. "You should take that pegasus back with you," she said, telling me that Stormlight wouldn't let anyone else ride her now. I thanked her, and said goodbye to my friend. We walked to the stables and busted Blackjack and Stormlight out of there.

_ Yo, boss and boss-ett! _Blackjack said. Stormlight said hi, and asked where we were going. When I explained where, she jumped for joy. Apparently, she had some friends that she had been separated from when we made the great equestrian trade. Annabeth and Percy got onto the black beast and I hopped onto my silver one. As they took off, I felt something I hadn't felt since Nico had died: love and a touch of belonging. And that alone made me smile.

As soon as we got back to the Camp, everyone swamped me. Jason and Piper were the first, Piper scolding me terribly. "YOU LEFT! Without telling anyone!" she said, hugging me tightly. Jason took a glance at my jacket and ring, nodding in approval. The rest of the camp greeted me warmly, including Travis and Conner. Annabeth had told me on the flight over that Katie broke poor Travis's heart when she dumped him. I saw the toll it had taken on him. But, even so, the both of them hugged me tightly.

Chiron suspended the scheduled game of capture the flag, which made every cabin except the Ares cabin cheer. Apparently, there was a malicious group of dryads on the loose. I could tell by the leaves growing out of some of the camper's ears that the woodland spirits were not happy.

I walked with Percy to Cabin 3, hesitating for a moment at the obsidian cabin. I felt a cold chill creep through the open doors of Cabin 13 that made me shiver. Without Nico in there, it didn't seem like it used to.

After unloading our stuff and Iris-messaging Tyson, Percy went to bed. I decided to take a walk instead. Changing into shorts and a camp shirt, I slipped Nico's jacket back on. I walked around the woods, not wanting a leaf-ear curse, and went to the beach. The cool fall breeze was blowing off of the water, and I waded out into the moonlit waves. I though of a poem that I had read when Nico was still here. It had read:

And the ocean taught her how to drown in all the things bigger than herself. The ocean loved her and knew everything that made her. And every time she'd walk to the shore, she'd smile at the ocean because the waves told her story.

R.M. Drake had written it, and I felt as though it perfectly described my thoughts. I closed my eyes, listening and feeling the tide push the waves onto the shore, letting them softly crash against the sand. I felt the footprints I left wash away at the never-ending cycle of the sea. In the distance, I felt the waves crest in the ocean, the damp and salty wind blowing my hair back. I didn't even bother to walk all the way out of the water before I lied in the sand, the sea's fingertips coming to stroke my hair, pulling it towards the deep and begging the rest of me to follow. Instead, I let sleep pull me out.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico met with me every night for the next few weeks. We would talk about life and what was going on with the rest of our little group. I never told him about what Octavian had done, and I never planned to. We hadn't grown closer, but we hadn't grown apart either. And, every time I woke up, I felt a little string tugging at the darkest fears in the back of my mind. I would, hypothetically speaking, snip the string, and ignore the little thought.

Soon, it was November, and fall had completely set in. Thanksgiving was easing up on us, a holiday I had never gotten to celebrate. Hermes would always send turkey and dressing and the whole shebang instead of the regular meals, but there was no change other than that. This year, however, was going to be very different. Percy had, of course, told me that we would be going home for Thanksgiving. I was very nervous, because I had never met Mrs. Sally or Mr. Paul. I wondered what would happen if they changed their minds. I would've done all this preparing and research (through Percy of course) for nothing. My wonderful brother had done all he could to quench those fears, telling me that his mother would adore me and that Paul would too. There was still that doubt in the back of my mind though.

The night before our departure, there was something different in the way Nico was acting. He was very stiff, and he wasn't meeting my eyes. When he did look at me, it was with a pained glance. For a moment, I thought he was going to say that he had chosen rebirth. But, to my surprise, it was because of me.

"You're going to stop loving me," he whispered.

"What?" I asked, shocked to hear those words come out of Nico's mouth. He looked at me, that painful, kicked-puppy expression making me want to cry.

"You're going to stop loving me. Eventually, you'll get tired of only seeing me at night, and the reality will set in. I'm _dead_, Maria. I have nothing to offer you. We couldn't get married, we couldn't have children. We couldn't do any of the normal things that most people do. You're going to say that it isn't true, but deep down…deep down, you know it's the inevitable."

I was absolutely speechless. I felt the string at the back of my mind curl tightly and knit itself into a whole sweater of fear and doubt. I knew, _I knew_ that Nico was right. And I didn't want to accept it. So, instead, I buried my head in his chest and cried about the complete and utter unfairness of it all. He was right. Inexplicably, cruelly, sadly, wrongly right. There was nothing I could do to change it.

"I will always love you," I whispered, "like the ocean loves the shoreline: in gentle wakes, in violent waves, in rising tides from sinking moons. And though I may recede, I will always, always come back to you."

Shaking his head, he pulled me into his lap, letting me cry, and crying with me. I had never seen, or heard, of Nico crying. But here he was, letting the tears silently roll down his face and fall into my hair.

"I think it would be best if I stopped," he whispered. I looked up into his face, hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was. He looked back at me, those chocolate brown eyes hurting me with the unspoken words that I never ever expected to hear.

I shook my head like a little kid, biting the fire out of my lip while the tears began to flow faster. "No," I whined. I couldn't imagine not seeing Nico again. I couldn't imagine having to wait until I died before I could be with him. He nodded and kissed the top of my head, trailing down until his forehead rested against mine.

"_Ti amero per sempre, mi cara," _he whispered to me. I sobbed once before composing myself and closing my eyes, preparing myself for the goodbye I was robbed of last time.

"I love you, no matter how long I will have to wait." I whispered.

"I love you, and I won't forget it," he replied, kissing me a final time before I spun back into the darkness and awoke.

Percy was beside me the moment I woke up, which was only a little bit after daybreak. "Hey, you were crying in your sleep. What happened?" he asked. I only shook my head and cried harder. Percy definitely deserved "Best Brother of the Year" award for dealing with me crying all the time. He held me until I finished crying. By then, my eyes were so swollen that I looked like Frank. With a little nectar, we got the puffiness and redness to go down. Then, he made me explain. And I mean, _made _me explain. I decided to take away his nomination for the award after he held me down and tickled the answer out of me. I told him that it was because of Nico, and he let the subject drop. I figured that he knew what the feeling was like. After all, he was jerked from his life with Annabeth by a deranged goddess. But, at least she was alive and searching for him. Enough said.

I packed and re-packed my things, nervously chewing on my lip as I thought about my destination. Percy had told me that their new apartment had four bedrooms, and that one of them was going to be mine. I didn't know how I could say thank you in a way that matched the gratitude I felt.

Finally, it was time for breakfast. I left my bags on my bed, completely packed and ready to go. Percy and I walked in silence, both glancing around at the scenery that we were going to be without for the next week. Other than my cabin, this was the only place that felt like home to me. Now though, it seemed more familiar than the little shack I grew up in.

Skirting around the edge of the forest, we walked into the mess hall. As soon as we set foot into the building, we were suffocated by hugs. Jason, Piper, and Annabeth were squishing Percy and I together. I felt loved. We sadly had to separate to our own tables, but we didn't have to be apart for too long. Chiron stood up at the head table and said that due to complaints and many suggestions, the rule of demigods being separated by their parentage was being suspended. The other three jumped up and slid in beside us as the rest of the campers moved to sit beside each other. Annabeth and Percy faced Jason, Piper, and I, who were carrying out most of the conversation. I began to feel a missing presence, a certain lack of spice in the air. When I figured it out, I asked, "Hey, where's Leo and Calypso?"

Jason and Piper glanced at each other, and I began to worry for out Latino friend. Percy began to chuckle and Annabeth tried to smother a smile.

"Him and Calypso moved to, uh, Houston, I think. They decided to open their machine shop." Jason said after a second.

"'Leo's Automaton Repair Shop featuring Calypso's Farmer's Market," Percy quoted, grinning like a fool. Annabeth rolled her eyes but smiled back at him. I nodded, satisfied but still missing my friend. They had taken Festus with them, promising to visit. They also said that they planned on building a whole armada of _Agro III _and _IVs_ for camp.

After eating my own stack of blue pancakes, per Percy's instructions, our little group walked the two of us to Cabin 3. Inside, we sat for a little while, talking about miscellaneous things. Then, I decided to show them something.

"Hey," I began, "when I went to New Rome, well, more like on the way there, I found something out, something that saved my skin plenty of times."

I explained how I was thinking about water and the extent of my control and how I wondered if I could do more with it. Then I told them about controlling life forms. Annabeth had a simple, yet very enlightening explanation.

"You're blessed by Apollo," she said, digging through her backpack. She pulled out a sheet of paper and drew out my family tree. My grandmother, a daughter of Aphrodite, and her father, a son of Apollo, were the only definite ones other than the gods and my mother.

"Inherited godly traits tend to appear every second or third generation. You're a third generation Apollo kid, so that means that you've got just as many abilities from him as his direct kids." she explained, "You're great with archery and you have biokenesis."

Percy asked what that was, and Wise Girl launched into another explanation. Sighing, she said, "Biokenesis is something that only a few of the Apollo campers have. Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew were some of the strongest. Will Solace has it too. It comes with many different attributes, including healing, physical enhancement, control over blood and bone, and the ability to change genetic structure of a life form."

I began to think on that, about how I thought I was controlling the water in animals and monsters. It _was _biokenesis, and I wanted to know more. Could I make myself taller? Or maybe get rid of my freckles? The possibilities were endless. Annabeth told me that I could ask Will when I got back.

With our departure time closing in on us, our little group walked Percy and I back to the cabin to grab our bags. Mrs. O'Leary was going to take us to the little beach house that Percy's mom and step dad were spending the holiday in.

Annabeth and Percy walked off a little bit from the rest of us to say a private goodbye, but Jason and Piper stayed with me. I looked at the two of them. Piper had finally decided to let her hair grow out of the choppy style it once was, letting it cascade down her back in a brown wave. Her eyes, never settling on a color, were faintly outlined in eyeliner. Jason, still as athletic as always, went back to the Roman-esque buzz cut. I smiled inwardly at the little scar on his lip, knowing from Thalia what had happened.

"What are you guys planning on doing for the holiday?" I asked.

"We are going to stay in New Rome so that I can spend the day with my dad," Piper said, chewing on her lip as she added, "and introduce him to Jason,"

So that was why he cut his hair. We joked around about her dad going all tribal on Jason and how funny it would be if he made the Roman go through the Cherokee ceremony for becoming a man. Jason, of course, didn't find it too funny. Percy and Annabeth walked back, and I said goodbye her. Climbing on Mrs. O'Leary's back, we waved at the others before the dog ran into the shadow of Cabin 3.

When I could see again, the first thing that registered was that we were on the beach. I could feel the ocean almost begging me to come into the depths before the shadows cleared. The beach was obviously not far from New York, because I could see the lights on the horizon. There were a few other houses along the shore that were uninhabited. Then I saw the little house.

It was about twice the size of one of the cabins at camp, painted a soft yellow with faded white shutters and a huge porch. The stained-glass windows and faded wood made me feel relaxed. I spotted the two people I was determined to impress.

Percy called out to his mother, a middle-aged woman who was sitting on the porch, hand-in-hand with a man that looked about her age. You could tell that she was once beautiful, but age hadn't hindered her as much as it does others. The smile lines around her mouth and eyes told me that she was a happy person. Her gait was a jolly one and her voice very soft.

"You must be Maria," she said, greeting me after hugging Percy. I smiled and nodded, hugging her when she opened her arms. Sally was a tight hugger, but I was a fan of that. Paul shook Percy's hand, turning his forearm over to see the SPQR brand. He raised his eyebrows, saying, "So _this _is why Sally was so upset,"

Percy explained that he had been grounded for a week after his mom found out. She then looked me up and down, searching for signs of the brand. I smiled and told her that I didn't have one. She poked my nose, saying, "Of course you don't. Anybody with a brain or common sense would know that Percy was the only one dumb enough to get one,"

We laughed at my brother's expense, Perc trying to defend himself. After waving Mrs. O'Leary off, the two of them ushered us inside, showing us the place. The kitchen and living room were nice sized with a set of stairs leading to the loft, which was where Percy and I would be staying. With the sea breeze and homey feel, it felt like Cabin 3, which was beyond fine with me.

The loft was nice. Two beds and a window facing the eastern sea, a little table and some chairs, and a plush rug made me feel right at home. The couple went outside so that we could unpack comfortably.

"Mom likes you," Percy commented, "a lot." I shrugged it off, replying that she probably liked everyone. On the inside, though, I was jumping for joy. I didn't know what I would've done if Mrs. Sally wouldn't have like me. I just hoped that Paul like me just as much.

After we unpacked, we walked outside and sat on the porch with the other two. They asked me about who I was and where I lived. When we got to my mother, I answered that she died when I was born. Sally covered her mouth before rushing over and smothering me with a hug. I was used to this kind of reaction, and thanked her, saying that I didn't have anything to miss. That only made her hug me longer.

"Being as good looking of a girl as you are," Paul said with a wink, "You're bound to have a boy in your life. So, who is it?"

"Nico," Percy answered for me. Sally sighed, obviously knowing about his fate.

"I wish he would've taken us up on the offer too. The poor boy really needed some maternal influence." she said, patting my hand.

My head shot up. What offer was she talking about? When I asked, Percy replied that, same as me, Sally offered Nico a room at their apartment when she heard about his situation. I couldn't believe it. That little heathen! He made me accept the offer that he denied? Why?! I had no answer, and it seemed that Percy didn't either.

Soon, the sun began to set, and the stars came out to dance. We built a bonfire on the sand, watching the sparks drift up to the heavens. The subject changed from our pasts, to the present, and then to the future.

"Are you going to move in with us, Maria?" Sally asked.

I had thought about it since Percy had mentioned it, and I had my answer.

"Mrs. Sally, I-"

"Just Sally is fine,"

"Okay, Just Sally, I really appreciate the offer, but I am afraid that if I get a taste of a true family life, I will feel cheated out of my own. I wouldn't be able to enroll in school, because I've already gotten my GED online. I've got a good thing going at Camp Half-Blood, and after that, I will probably go to the university in New Rome. I truly appreciate the offer, but I really must say no,"

She nodded, but still argued with me. Gods, she was stubborn. But so was I. After about half an hour of arguing and bargaining, we decided that I would come with Percy every time he came in to visit. They both seemed pleased with that. The two of them went back inside after a few more minutes, but Percy and I stayed on the beach, lying back and listening to the waves.

"How would you feel if you lost Annabeth?" I asked quietly, the emotions and thoughts that plagued me beginning to drive me insane. Percy sighed, but he stayed silent, thinking hard.

"I don't know. I mean," he said as he sat up, brought his legs to his chest, and set his chin on his knees. "When Hera stole my memory, it felt like something big was missing. Like part of _me_ was missing. It wasn't bad, just….incomplete. But, I figure that if I had all the memories and she was still gone, it would be a lot worse."

I nodded, satisfied. I didn't know why I asked the question, but it made me feel a little more rational about my grief. We sat in silence, falling into a ocean-induced peace. I didn't sleep, but Percy sure did. My dear brother could fall asleep anywhere. I sighed and decided to try and use my biokenesis to move him inside. Concentrating, I slowly got Percy's body to move. It hovered in the air for a moment before crashing back into the sand. I winced and closed my eyes, waiting for a scolding. None came, and I opened my eyes to see Percy, face down in the sand, drooling.

I rolled my eyes and went back to work, eventually getting him upstairs and in the bed. I climbed in my cot with my shoes still on, an old habit of mine. After a little bit, I fell asleep, the ocean making me feel beyond what I thought I could ever reach.

I won't bore you with the details of the meal and everything else under the sun. I will say that it was nice. Sally sure could cook, and we could eat. The blue apple pie was probably the best part. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and this was indeed a good thing. It got my mind off of Nico and how unfair and cruel the world was. But, once again, good things must end.

It was time to leave before I knew it, the winter month of December edging in on us. Percy and I packed up and said our goodbyes, both to the peace of mind and his parents. We decided that a hippocampus ride would be an efficient way to get back to Camp. So, after calling the shimmering, rainbow creatures, we gave Paul and Sally one last wave before diving into the sea and heading home.

On the way, I could've sworn that I saw a mermaid or two, one of them with red hair and a green tail. The fish around us were having interesting conversations, including one about a clownfish searching for his son. Some of the dolphins we ran across gave Percy a dirty look and cursed him in fish. That must've been the ones from Golden Boy's ship.

We finally made it back to camp, but it seemed to be more empty than usual. Of course, about half of the demigods had left for home when summer ended, but the rest should've been here. I guess there was an extended vacation that we didn't know about.

Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo-wait, Leo? I thought he was supposed to be in Houston with Calypso. What was he doing here, waiting on fireworks beach? Anyway, the four of them greeted us warmly, Percy and Annabeth trading "I missed you" and "I love you" back and forth. It made me hurt for the love that I had lost. I saw Leo wince out of the corner of my eye too. Jason coughed a little, stopping all the mushy banter and said that we could talk by the campfire.

We got down to the amphitheater and saw the huge fire. I usually didn't go to the campfires, but tonight would have to be an exception. The flames were bright yellow, almost the color of a softball, and huge. Everyone was sitting around, laughing and singing along to the Apollo campers' songs. They were singing "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers, one of my favorite songs. I jumped in, sitting beside Amy who was holding a guitar. Leo and Percy were talking across from me, and the other three were sitting a little bit away from them, speaking softly about something. But, with the music playing and the fire burning, I had no troubles.

I let the music pick me up, whisking me away as I got lost in the lyrics and mesmerized by the sound of singing. I sang along, feeling a bunch of eyes rest on me and ignoring them. I was a legacy of Apollo, so I could sing all I wanted. Soon, though, the song was over and they started to sing one that I didn't know at all, so I went to sit beside Percy and Leo.

"Hiya," I said cheerfully, greeting Leo. Percy whistled at Annabeth, making her glare at him and turn back to Piper. I looked away, reality threatening to settle back in.

"They bother me," he said, glancing at the happy couple. I nodded, wondering why. When I asked, he said, "The gods decided that, even though I freed Calypso, that I couldn't be with her. I thought it was kinda sick, her finally getting a hero that could stay and the gods changed the rules." He laughed a cold laugh. "But, the way I figure, she will get some help from Cupid and marry some of the macho gods and forget all about me,"

I felt bad for the Latino elf, knowing what it felt like to be separated from the person you love. Then, he asked what was going on with me and Nico. I told him about what happened, and how unfair that it was for the Fates to ruin love. Leo nodded, stretching out and sitting idle as the fire began to die and the campers clear out. Annabeth and Percy left, leaving Jason and Piper with us.

We started to talk about making a city, a city for demigods. We argued about where it would be and how big and what kind of defenses it would have. Leo pulled out a tablet and began to fiddle around with it, creating virtual blueprints.

"What if it had a school? And a college?" I asked, getting happy as I wondered about the possibilities. Leo was typing this all in, furiously working on the little device. Eventually, Jason and I decided that, as the two responsible ones of our little group, that tit was time for us to turn it in.

We walked back to the cabins, mine being the first one that we got to. I stepped in, and was met by Percy and Annabeth, asleep in his bed. Thousands of thoughts and emotions ran through my head, anything from angst to anger to happiness and feels. I was _not_ going to be able to sleep here tonight, not with those two.

When I told the other three as much, Piper told me that I could bunk with her. Leo told me that I could come stay with him too in the "Leo Cave" as he put it. I wondered what was going on with the little Latino and why he was being so friendly. On the way to Cabin 10, I saw Connor and Travis sneaking through the forest, headed towards Cabin 9, Leo's cabin. I called to them, making the two of them yell, "Abort the mission!" and run back to their cabin.

Piper gave me one of the very few open bunks next to Lacy. I was slightly irked by all the pink and blue and green. Personally, I preferred blacks, greens, browns, blues, and the occasional purple. That was about it. The whole "Barbie dream house" look made me nauseous.

I waited till the rest of the campers had fallen asleep, which, by my count, took about two and a half hours. I slipped out of bed, walking by moonlight to Cabin 9. Leo probably wouldn't mind a friend bunking with him, right?

Well, I walked inside, not seeing any of the bunks sitting in the main room like it was in the other cabins. I glanced around, seeing a blinking panel in one corner. It had a label, with the only green light on it, that said Bunk 1-A. I pressed the button beside it, and a spiral staircase opened up a few feet away. I hesitantly walked down it, following the test tubes of Greek Fire down into a nice-sized bunker. It was about a twenty by twenty. It had a bed on a platform and a desk/worktable in one corner. The other walls were covered with shelves that held everything from carburetors to spare command disks to pistons and points.

Leo was sitting down at the table, fiddling with a miniature catapult-looking deceive. "Light 'em Up" by Fall Out Boy was playing loudly. I sure hoped that the walls were soundproof. The staircase behind me retracted, and I decided that there was no turning back now. Leo looked really funny with the big, bug-eyed glasses on his head and the brown gloves on his hands. I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the lyrics of the song.

"_Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark_

_ can't be sure when they've hit their mark_

_ Besides in the mean, mean time_

_ I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart_

_ I'm in the de-details with the devil_

_ So now the world can never get me on my level_

_ I just gotta get you out of the cage _

_ I'm a young lover's rage _

_ Gonna need a spark to ignite_

_ My songs know what you did in the dark_

_ So light 'em up, up, up,_

_ Light 'em up, up, up_

_ Light 'em up, up ,up _

_ I'm on fire_

_ So light 'em up, up, up,_

_ Light 'em up, up, up_

_ Light 'em up, up ,up _

_ I'm on fire."_

As I got closer, I realized that Leo was singing along to the song. The poor guy sure could hit a sour note. But, I could tell that this was one of his favorite songs. I tapped his shoulder, causing him to spin around. I smiled shyly and tried to yell over the music, "Can I stay here tonight?!" but I don't think he could hear me.

He jumped up and shredded an air guitar as the second chorus came around. He started singing along, doing an electric slide.

"_My songs know what you did in the dark_

_ So light 'em up, up, up,_

_ Light 'em up, up, up_

_ Light 'em up, up ,up _

_ I'm on fire_

_ So light 'em up, up, up,_

_ Light 'em up, up, up_

_ Light 'em up, up ,up _

_ I'm on fire!" _he yelled, kicking over his chair and setting his hands on fire. I laughed and sang along with him until the song ended. He hit the pause button on the speaker on the table and slipped off his goggles.

"So," he drawled, wiping his hands on an oilcloth, "what can I do for you?"

I told him about the failed stay in the Aphrodite cabin, and Leo told me that I could stay with him. He looked kind of nervous, glancing at a control panel similar to the one in the main room.

"Slight problem," he said, tapping the little lights and wiping off the nameplates, "

"There aren't any more empty bunks. I forgot that Wesson had moved in yesterday. You can sleep in my bed though."

I felt a nervous feeling run through me, and my cheeks heated up. Leo laugh and assured me that he would sleep on the floor. "Well," he said with a wink, "unless you want some company," I didn't give him an answer as I searched for a new conversation topic. The little catapult model on the table was the perfect thing to ask about.

"Glad you asked," Leo said, patting the chair beside his own. I sat down and he began to explain what he wanted to do with it. "It's supposed to be a model for a fireworks launcher. Imagine playing Capture the Flag and suddenly, a huge, bright colored bomb exploded at your feet. You'd be stunned and possibly blinded. This is going to be the bomb, literally!" he said, laughing at his own corny joke. I smiled and glanced at the catapult. The rubber bands and metal pieces didn't seem to be balanced correctly, and, after a little mental math, I told Leo as much.

"The left side is going to go farther than the right," I said, explaining what would happen without an equal amount of force being used. He nodded, explaining that the full-scale thing would have a control disk and a remote to control the trajectory and all that.

"Since when were you a mechanic anyway?" he asked coyly. I shrugged and told him that I was usually good at fixing things. We talked for another ten minutes before I began to yawn.

He told me that he was fine with sleeping on the floor, and Leo pulled out an extra pillow and blanket, spreading them out on the floor. He let me climb into his bed before turning off the lights.

"Night," he said.  
>"Don't let the fireflies bite," I muttered back. He chuckled once before going silent. I tossed and turned in the bed, the guilt of putting poor Leo on the floor eating me. I threw off the blankets as I tossed and turned, the movement heating the bed up. But, when I finally got still, I began to shiver. It was cold underground. No wonder he had so many blankets in here.<p>

I felt an arm wrap around me, making me jump out of my skin. "Its just me, tiger," Leo whispered. I felt myself blush bright red, and I was very thankful that the lights were out.

"What are you doing?"

"You looked cold," he replied, and I felt his shrug. "Plus, the floor really hurts."

I felt both of his arms snake around me and his chest press against my back. Immediately, I felt warmer, whether from embarrassment or the fact that Leo was truly heating up, I would never know. But, I didn't have time to protest. Hypnos pulled me under, right as I felt his lips brush against my ear.

The next morning, I slipped out of Cabin 9 before anyone would be able to tell that I was missing. I walked into the forests, the angry dryads having been taken care of during the holiday. The trail that was cut out was nice, slinking through the forest without harming any of the scenery. Speaking of the scenery, I looked around and saw as some of the bare-leafed trees begin to yawn and stretch their limbs. I decided that I might've been disturbing their hibernation and left.

I walked back to my cabin, really hoping that the lovebirds would be gone. Thankfully, they were. I walked in and showered, changing into my camp clothes and wondering what I would do for the day. I didn't really feel like socializing, so I decided to go to the Big House and chat with Chiron or Mr. D. My growling stomach seemed to disagree with my mind. Okay, breakfast, then go talk to the immortals. After walking to the pavilion, I went to sit at the Poseidon table but someone called my name.

"Yo, Maria!" Connor called. I glanced at the table he was sitting at. Along with Connor sat Will Solace, Travis, Amy, and a new girl. I had never seen the newest edition to camp. I slipped in beside Will and observed the new one. She didn't say much, keeping her small mouth closed. She had to have been about seventeen. With bronze skin, long and dark auburn hair, and beautiful brown eyes, she had the body of a supermodel but the muscles of an athlete. She had a light dusting of freckles along her cheeks. Very pretty, but very quietly.

The conversation turned to my new ability that Annabeth had informed Will of. He offered to train me in it, and I accepted. The girl was staring at me oddly. When Connor noticed, he of course had to say something.

"Does Maria have something on her face Kayla?" he snickered, throwing a grape at her. She calmly caught it in her mouth, shaking her head.

"She's been around death," Kayla said, shrugging.

"What do you mean?" I challenged, daring her to bring up Nico.

"You either had someone die or you've been close to it," she said, brushing her hair out of her face. I kinda wished she had taken the bait so I would've been able to prove that I was strong enough to deal with it.

"How do you know that?" I said, giving her a sidelong glance. She shrugged, a thing that I found very annoying. Eventually, she got up and left, headed for the lava wall while the rest of us, schedules clear, stayed behind to talk some more.

"So, who do you think her parent is?" Travis said, shaking a bag of drachmas to say that he was willing to bet.

"Aw, Travis," Conner complained, "you always bet money. Let's say time."

"I agree," said Amy, adding that the winner should get to pick which one of the losers would serve them for three days.

"Alrighty, three days," Travis said.

"I'm betting she's one of Hecate's kids. They're mysterious like that," said Will.

"Nah," Amy replied, "it has to be Ares. She seems to want to pick a fight."

"I'm gonna have to say Demeter. She's got the looks, anyway." Connor said.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Athena. Kayla seems smart." Travis countered.

"Persephoney," I said, looking at the pomegranate she left untouched. The others tried to make me change my mind, but I was set in stone.

We found out later that day that I was closest, Kayla being a child of Persephoney, born during the spring. I decided that Connor would be mine for a week. Who knows? Maybe I can get some new shoes?


	3. Author's Note (VERY IMPORTANT)

Hello, my wonderful reader. It's MaKayla, and I have a new proposition. Hecate, godess of magic and doorways, has given me and, to a lesser extent, you a choice. Maria can either move on from Nico and find love in one of two other demigods (Leo Valdez or Connor Stoll) or she just might decide to risk it all, including her life, to get Nico back. Now, I find that this is extremely hard to chose from, so I am letting you decide! Post in the reviews who you would like to see Maria with. Will it be Nico, her first love who died so that she could live? Or maybe Leo, the heartbroken Latino who would do almost anything for the ones he loves? Or will it be Connor, the mischevious and fun loving son of Hermes who just might steal one thing he didn't plan on: Maria's heart? Please help me decide; I love all three of them too much to choose!


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